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AIBU?

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Original poster

To reserve the entire park benches?

180 replies

anyplate · 30/07/2025 14:46

I took my children to the park today and packed up a picnic, it was a woodland area with apparatus and was a short drive away.
When we arrived we headed straight to the park and thought we’d eat our picnic but every single bench had a “polite notice”
bench is reserved for children’s birthday party
don’t be that person.

There was about five benches and no one around so I got a blanket out of the car and sat on it and we had our picnic.
We stayed at the park over an hour and in that time many cross looking people went to sit down and saw the note and didn’t but there was no children’s party in the hour or so we were there.
Were they not completely unreasonable reserving every single bench for an unknown amount of time so nobody else could use it just so they were free for when they wanted?
We could have sat there eaten our lunch and gone without it affecting any party.

OP posts:
Petlover9 · 01/08/2025 11:37

JDM625 · 30/07/2025 14:50

They are CF...kers! I would have sat on the benches!

I would also have left a note saying that THEY are THOSE people and how rude THEY were!
OR, maybe snuck around and removed all their signs 😆

Maybe the notices would have "blown away" if I had been there 😁 it is unreasonable to try and reserve seating in a public park. What if elderly people wanted to sit a while?

CelestialCandyfloss · 01/08/2025 13:30

😂😂 omg the absolute audacity, you can't reserve park benches! 😂 you should have thrown those signs in the bin and enjoyed your picnic

Ireallywantadoughnut36 · 01/08/2025 20:46

The only way this is acceptable is if the park is somehow fundraising/privately run and they organise parties, and it's a paid-for party with tables that can be reserved that way by staff members. If it's a regular play park in the UK, and a parent has done this they can jog on. It's absolutely fine to host a party at the park but you take your chances on table space and other people being around, if you want private tables you have to book somewhere like soft play or a hall and pay for the space....

ImGoneUnderground · 01/08/2025 20:58

Smartiepants79 · 30/07/2025 15:11

Why the hell didn’t you just sit there! It’s utterly rude to do what they've done. It’s a public space no one gets to dictate who can use it unless they’re breaking the law.
I’d have been fed up enough in your shoes to turn up and find all the picnic space being used for a birthday party. Let alone pre-reserved benches for people who aren’t even there!!
I can’t believe no one sat on them.

Absolutely agree with all the comments about not being OK to 'claim' all the public benches in advance, but if the 'party' was already happening I wouldn't have minded, (and there wouldn't have been a need to put up signs anyway) as not everyone can afford to rent a place for a children's party these days. (Pretty sure the kids at the invisible party wouldn't have minded sitting on the grass anyway).

SuperFishy · 02/08/2025 09:48

Alltheoldpaintings · 30/07/2025 15:06

I’d have looked around, checked the party hadn’t started, then removed all the signs and sat down. If challenged I’d probably say as there was clearly no party going on, so I assumed the party had already happened and they’d just forgotten to remove the signs “because obviously nobody would try to reserve all the seats for a party happening later on”.

But then I’m a bit of a dick and don’t care anymore.

This would also be me. "Don't be that person". I'm that mf person.

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